Where do I start...GET A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION!!!
I spent a few months looking for a 1st gen xtracab 4x4 tacoma and eventually found one for sale by Ali's Auto last summer. It was the right price even with high mileage and looked to be pretty clean. I talked with them before i drove the 90min to look at it and told them the price I was comfortable with before I saw it. It was an Ohio truck and had discussed the rust issues with Ali on the phone. He was honest about its past and told me the frame had been replaced. He said there was still rust but I was getting a...and I quote, a "solid truck for the price." He assured me the rust wasn't a "major issue."
Got down there, looked it over, took a quick drive, and although it was dirty, it seemed fine...the first vehicle I ever bought without a pre-purchase inspection and little did I know how big of a mistake that was. Here's what I found was wrong with it over the course of the next two months:
Check engine light less than 15min after driving it off the lot for cat converter (salesmen will reset the ecu right before you arrive so it doesn’t show a CEL)
H2O leak on the pass side floor
Heater core leaked coolant
Heater control valve broken
Horn/alarm system broken
Rust under the bed liner
Driver's rear window wouldn't seal
A/C compressor leak (he said it just needed a recharge)
CV axle boots torn
Shocks blown out
Stripped bolt for passenger seat
Rear right axle replaced incorrectly (more on this later)
Most of this would have been apparent in a pre purchase inspection...but I trusted him and he was a 90min drive away and didn't want to deal with that...MISTAKE. Most of this could be written off as my fault for not looking into it but the CEL 10min after driving away should have been my first warning sign.
A few weeks after I owned it I was under the truck for the fuel filter when I noticed that the rear axle was leaking….a lot. Did some research and found that it was an axle seal. A little labor and a $10 part so i decided to do it myself. When I went to reassemble the rear axle I realized that the reason it was leaking was not because of a bad seal, but because they replaced a rusted rear axle with the INCORRECT axle. They used an axle shaft from a truck w/o ABS. My truck didn't have ABS but in 02+ Toyota used ABS-equipped shafts. So the axle seal had nothing to push against and just leaked profusely. They just straight up used the wrong part.
Called Ali. I only asked for the single part...I was willing to do all the labor myself to fix their mistake. He refused and said that it was my fault. I had to send pictures and eventually got the mechanic that worked on my truck to admit fault and they agreed...they sent me a replacement part (and told me they wouldn’t do anything else) and decided to not even package it well. Sent me a whole rear axle shaft with assembly attached with only cardboard taped to the outside with no padding. Had to spend 30min bending the drum brake cover back into shape so it didn't rub the hub, and I was lucky that the axle splines weren’t damaged.
Ali lied profusely about the truck. I've since sold it and replaced it. I’ve never left a review like this, good or bad, but felt like this was justified. Make sure you get an inspection and ANY used car you want to buy. If it fails you’ve saved yourself a ton of money. If it passes it just reassures you and is still worth the $100.
All USA
Where do I start...GET A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION!!! I spent a few months looking for a 1st gen xtracab 4x4 tacoma and eventually found one for sale by Ali's Auto last summer. It was the right price even with high mileage and looked to be pretty clean. I talked with them before i drove the 90min to look at it and told them the price I was comfortable with before I saw it. It was an Ohio truck and had discussed the rust issues with Ali on the phone. He was honest about its past and told me the frame had been replaced. He said there was still rust but I was getting a...and I quote, a "solid truck for the price." He assured me the rust wasn't a "major issue." Got down there, looked it over, took a quick drive, and although it was dirty, it seemed fine...the first vehicle I ever bought without a pre-purchase inspection and little did I know how big of a mistake that was. Here's what I found was wrong with it over the course of the next two months: Check engine light less than 15min after driving it off the lot for cat converter (salesmen will reset the ecu right before you arrive so it doesn’t show a CEL) H2O leak on the pass side floor Heater core leaked coolant Heater control valve broken Horn/alarm system broken Rust under the bed liner Driver's rear window wouldn't seal A/C compressor leak (he said it just needed a recharge) CV axle boots torn Shocks blown out Stripped bolt for passenger seat Rear right axle replaced incorrectly (more on this later) Most of this would have been apparent in a pre purchase inspection...but I trusted him and he was a 90min drive away and didn't want to deal with that...MISTAKE. Most of this could be written off as my fault for not looking into it but the CEL 10min after driving away should have been my first warning sign. A few weeks after I owned it I was under the truck for the fuel filter when I noticed that the rear axle was leaking….a lot. Did some research and found that it was an axle seal. A little labor and a $10 part so i decided to do it myself. When I went to reassemble the rear axle I realized that the reason it was leaking was not because of a bad seal, but because they replaced a rusted rear axle with the INCORRECT axle. They used an axle shaft from a truck w/o ABS. My truck didn't have ABS but in 02+ Toyota used ABS-equipped shafts. So the axle seal had nothing to push against and just leaked profusely. They just straight up used the wrong part. Called Ali. I only asked for the single part...I was willing to do all the labor myself to fix their mistake. He refused and said that it was my fault. I had to send pictures and eventually got the mechanic that worked on my truck to admit fault and they agreed...they sent me a replacement part (and told me they wouldn’t do anything else) and decided to not even package it well. Sent me a whole rear axle shaft with assembly attached with only cardboard taped to the outside with no padding. Had to spend 30min bending the drum brake cover back into shape so it didn't rub the hub, and I was lucky that the axle splines weren’t damaged. Ali lied profusely about the truck. I've since sold it and replaced it. I’ve never left a review like this, good or bad, but felt like this was justified. Make sure you get an inspection and ANY used car you want to buy. If it fails you’ve saved yourself a ton of money. If it passes it just reassures you and is still worth the $100.